The Debt
by anthonystarrk
Summary: Agent Barton had done this many times before. But this time, it turned out different. Goes from when the two meet, past the events of The Avengers. Clintasha
1. A Debt

_The Debt_

**Disclaimer: I do not own any characters in this story.**

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When Natasha woke up that morning, she had a feeling that it would be a good day. She crawled out of bed and walked into the kitchen. Opening the cabinet above the sink, she grabbed the box of fruity pebbles. She grabbed a bowl from another cabinet, and the milk from the fridge. She poured in just the right amount of cereal and poured the milk. She opened a drawer and grabbed a spoon.

She then set her bowl down on the coffee table in front of the couch, and went to find the remote. She looked under the pillows on the couch, in the kitchen, on the floor. She couldn't seem to find it. Going through her night last night in her head, she remembered that she accidentally brought it into her room. She walked into her room, and sure enough, the remote was sitting in a small chair she had in the corner.

When she walked out into the living room, she heard a noise coming from the door. She spun around on her heels and hurried back into her room. She jumped onto her bed and removed the painting that hung on the wall above her bed. She set the painting aside, and revealed a small safe imbedded in the wall. She quickly spun the dial, hitting all the right numbers. She grabbed the small handgun she had, and jumped off the bed.

She inched her way back into the living room, gun pointed ahead of her. She checked the hall closet, and the bathroom, not finding anything. Not yet convinced, she slowly opened her apartment door and stuck her head into the hallway. Not seeing anyone, she closed the door and locked it. She let out a deep breath, and headed back to her room to put the gun away.

When she came back into her room, she gasped. There was a man, standing next to her bed, with an arrow pointed at her. A million thoughts ran through her mind. Was he here to kill her? Who is he? Who sent him? What should she do?

She had just recently got out of the spy life. She had been a Russian spy, who did anything that anyone asked her to. It's how she was raised, starting at a very young age. She even was dubbed the "Black Widow." Not wanting to ruin her new life, she set down the gun, and out her hands up.

"What do you want with me?" She asked, taking in a deep breath.

"I'm here to kill you." The man said, keeping his arrow dead set on her.

"Why?" She simply asked.

"Come on now, you and I both know the things you've done."

She sighed. He was right. She had done very horrible things in the past, but she didn't deserve to be killed, so she thought.

"Listen, I-"

She was interrupted.

"Yes, I know. You don't want to be killed because you think you deserve a second chance, blah blah blah. I've heard it all before. This is my job, and I'm going to do it." The man said blankly.

"What's your name?" She replied, trying to change the subject somewhat.

"I'm Agent Clint Barton, I'm with SHIELD."

"What's that?"

"SHIELD stands for Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division. We handle high threat level cases."

"And I'm a high threat? You've gotta be kidding me." She paused. She needed to get out of this situation. She didn't want to kill him, she was done with that. She had a couple choices; she could attempt to escape, with the possibility of being on the run forever. Or she could convince this Agent Barton to spare her life. She continued, "Hear me out. Yes, I've done bad things in my past, everyone has at some point. Now, I can tell you're a man of integrity. You'll get the job done. But this job doesn't need to be done. I'm done with that lifestyle. I'm not going back, so I don't deserve to be killed for it."

He was silent. He considered her previous statements. She was right. He could tell just by her home that she really did want to move on.

"I will spare you're life, but only on one condition." He replied, lowering his arrow.

"What is it?" She asked eagerly, willing to do just about anything to save her life.

After what seemed like forever, the man finally replied, "You come back to the United States with me, and you work for SHIELD."

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**Thanks for reading this guys! It's been forever since I've posted anything on here, so I hope you liked it.**

**Please review!**


	2. Welcome to SHIELD

**Alright guys, here's chapter 2!**

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Natasha stood there blankly, not knowing what to do. She was speechless, in a bad way. She didn't want to leave Russia. It was her home. But she knew if she stayed here, then she would be killed, either by SHIELD or her past enemies. There was no doubt in her mind that life here wouldn't be how she wanted it to be. But, could she trust SHIELD? Could she trust this Agent Barton? She had a hundred thoughts running through her head at once, and it was too much to handle.

She turned on her heels and went into her room. Agent Barton followed her. She grabbed a bag that was under her bed and started putting clothes in it. She grabbed all that she had, which wasn't much. She then went to her nightstand and opened the drawer. She moved some useless things around until she found what she was looking for; a photo album. She shoved it in her bag, and then went to her safe. It was still opened, so she grabbed her passports, money, gun, iPod, and a necklace she had that was her mother's.

"Ok, I'm ready." She said to Agent Barton.

"That's all you need?" He asked.

"Yes. Now can we please get going?"

"Yes, of course."

She followed him to the door, where he drew the pistol he had on his hip. He held it at his side as they made their way down the hall. They stopped at the elevator. He pressed the button for the top floor, and the doors opened. They went in.

"Why are we going to the roof?" Natasha asked, confused.

"You'll see"

She shrugged it off. A few seconds later, the elevator stopped and the doors opened. They exited the elevator, and Clint led them to a ladder. Natasha followed him up the ladder, and they come onto the roof. Much to her surprise, there was a helicopter waiting for their arrival.

"After you." Clint gestured.

Natasha nodded, and climbed into the helicopter. She found a seat, and sat down, setting her bag next to her. Clint closed the hatch and went up to the pilot. He said something to the pilot, but Natasha couldn't hear. Clint then set his weapons in a case, and sat down across from Natasha.

She wasn't sure if she should try to make conversation or not, so she grabbed her iPod from her bag and put her earbuds in. She scrolled through her songs, and didn't see anything that appealed to her. So, she went back to the top and clicked on "shuffle." "Never Say Never" by The Fray started playing. She was fine with that, so she set her iPod down and put her head back hopeful to get some sleep.

After a while, Clint made sure she was asleep. She was. He stood up and grabbed a phone from his case. He pressed "1."

"Barton, is she done?" Asked a deep voice.

Barton shut the divider between him and the pilot, and took a deep breath.

"Well, Sir. We had a change of plans."

"We?"

"Yes. I got to her apartment, and was ready to take the shot, but I was weak. She told me that she was done, and I believed her. I could tell, Director. I could tell hat she didn't want to be who she was anymore. But I didn't let her go, either. I gave her an ultimatum. I told her she could come work for SHIELD, and she knew that if she didn't she would be killed. So, she agreed. We're about 15 minutes out from the helicarrier right now."

"Barton, I outta shoot you for this, but I won't. Just hurry up."

The man hung up. Barton tossed the phone on his case. He sat back down and let his head drop to his hands.

Natasha then woke up, and took her earbuds out. She looked at Clint, and she could tell that something was wrong.

"You ok?" She asked.

Clint gasped. "Gosh, I didn't know you were awake. Uh, yes. I'm fine."

"Were you just on the phone?

"Yeah, I was."

"With?"

"My boss, Director Nick Fury of SHIELD."

"Did you tell him what happened?"

"Yes, he knows that I didn't kill you and that I told you to come work with us. But I don't think he took it very well."

Natasha sighed. She was starting to like the idea of starting fresh, completely fresh. And this was probably the only chance she was going to get to do that.

Her thoughts were broken when a light started flashing that said to buckle up. The two strapped their buckles, and awaited landing.

After the plane landed, Natasha grabbed her bag and stood up. She followed Clint out of the helicopter and onto the helicarrier. She was dumbstruck by the thing. It was huge, and it was in the air.

She made sure she stayed by Clint as they went inside. They went down a number of hallways until they entered a room, which looked like some kind of bedroom.

"Alright, you will be staying here. There's a bed, closet, table, and a couch. The bathroom is down the hall to the left, and my room is right across from here so if you ever need anything just come get me. The cafeteria is down the hall to the right, and the rec room is down the hall, up the stairs, and to the right. That's all you need to know for now." Clint said.

Natasha just stared at him. She really didn't know what she was doing. She nodded at him, and sat down on her bed. She then gestured for him to leave.

After he left, she put her head in her hands and started to cry.

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**Thanks for reading! I'll be sure to update as soon as I can.**

**Review please! **


	3. Settling In

**Alright guys! Time for chapter 3!  
**

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That night, after she had collected her emotions, Natasha put on her sweatpants and an old t-shirt, and grabbed her iPod. She sat down on her bed and pulled the blanket over her. When she was comfortable, she unlocked her iPod and connected to SHIELD's wifi network. She checked her email. There was basically nothing except a few spam messages. She clicked the home button and looked around her screen for a moment. She then froze. She realized that she had no one to talk to, nothing to do. She felt empty.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard a knocking on the door. She set her iPod on the small table next to her bed and pulled the covers back. She jumped out of bed and opened the door. Much to her surprise, a woman was standing there.

"Ms. Romanoff, my name is Agent Maria Hill, I work with Clint. I stopped by to make sure you were settled in." The woman said.

"I'm fine, thank you." Natasha replied.

"Good. He also gave me these files to give to you. He said for you to look at them, and fill out the ones that are needed." Agent Hill said, handing Natasha the files.

"Will do."

Agent Hill nodded and left. Natasha then shut the door and went back to her bed. She sat down and opened the document folder. It was titled "Beginning at SHIELD." She turned the page and read the introduction. It just said everything that SHIELD does and how they were founded. She skimmed the next few pages until her eyes stopped. It was the page that she had to fill out. She grabbed the pen that was sitting on her nightstand. She filled out her birth date, gender, hometown, etc. She initialed and signed where needed. She figured she could read the rest in the morning so she set it aside and got back under the covers. She glanced at the clock; 11:30 pm.

After a few hours of sleep, she woke up to a sound coming from her door. She got up to get her gun, soon realizing that Clint had confiscated it when she got here. She slowly walked to the door, and looked through the peephole. She gasped. Clint was standing there.

She opened the door. "Clint, what're you doing?"

He walked in and shut the door behind him. "Shh. I'm not supposed to be here." He replied.

"Then why are you?"

"To check on you. I know that Maria – I mean Agent Hill came by, but I wanted to check myself."

"I'm fine." She said, firmly.

"Ok, I just wanted to see myself."

"Agent Barton-"

She was interrupted. "Call me Clint, please."

She nodded. "Clint, I'm not sure if I can do this. That file was a lot for me to handle, I couldn't imagine what it will actually be like to work here."

"Listen, you will be just fine. It's not bad at all. Trust me. I was once in your position. I was the new one, I felt lost. But it became to feel like home. It is home for me now. And it will be for you."

She nodded. "Maybe." She paused and took a deep breath. "I can trust you, right?"

"Of course. I'll always be here for you."

"Ok, good." She replied.

"Well, I'm going to go back to bed now. I'll get you at eight for breakfast."

She nodded. After he left, she got back into bed. She got comfortable once again, and fell asleep.

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**Sorry it was so short, I promise the next will be longer!**

**I hope you liked it! Review please!**


	4. Vacation?

**Okay, here's chapter 4!**

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Clint's alarm went off at 7:30 am. He shut it off and crawled out of bed. He quickly showered, shaved, and brushed his teeth. He put on his uniform for the day, and put on his boots. He grabbed his phone and put it in his back pocket. After his regular routine, he glanced at the clock; 7:58 am. He was right on time. He went through the door, locking it on his way out. He then walked across the hall and knocked on Natasha's door.

She had completely forgotten about breakfast. She jumped out of bed and hurried to the door. She opened it and let Clint in.

"Sorry, I forgot about breakfast. Give me like 15 minutes and I'll be ready." She said.

"Oh no, It's fine. Breakfast doesn't start until 8:30. I woke you up now so you would have time to get ready. So, go get ready. I'll be right down the hall in my office." He said.

"Ok. I'll be ready." She said, turning on her heels to get her bag.

After Clint left, she grabbed the clothes she'd need for the day, her iPod, and her shampoo and conditioner. She walked down the hall to the left, just like Clint had said. She entered the bathroom. She saw four stalls, four sinks, and another door. When she walked through there, she found four showers. She set her things down on the bench and turned her music on. She grabbed one of the towels that was sitting on a self, and hung on the hook next to her shower. She took of her shirt and sweatpants, and folded them. She set them on the bench also. She then took her bra and underwear off. She climbed into the shower and turned it on.

After her shower, she got dressed, brushed her teeth, and blow-dried her hair. She looked at the time on her iPod. It was 8:27. She grabbed her things and headed back to her room. She set everything down and headed to Clint's office. She saw the door was shut, so she knocked. A few seconds later the door opened and revealed none other than Clint.

"Hey, I just finished my work. Ready?" He asked.

She nodded. "Yup."

"Alright, follow me."

She did just that. They walked back down the hall and to the right. When they got to the cafeteria, there was barely anyone there. Not much of a surprise. Most agents went home during this time of the year. It was almost Christmas, so those who wanted to could leave. But those like Clint that didn't really have anywhere to go just stayed.

She followed him through the line, grabbing the foods that looked good. They got to the end of the line. Clint typed in his SHIELD ID number, and told the woman there that Natasha's food was on him. They then walked towards the back and found a small table with two chairs near a window.

The two ate in silence for most of the meal until Clint finally spoke up.

"Hey Natasha. Do you have anything planned for Christmas?" He asked.

"Nope. This is all I have right now."

"Well, I don't have anything either, but I have a lot of vacation days stored up. So, I was wondering if you wanted to fly to San Diego with me for a few days. My house is out there, and I haven't been there in years."

She thought about this. She didn't have anything to do here. From the information in the file, she didn't have to start training until January 2nd, and it was December 23rd right now. What did she have to lose?

"Sure, that sounds great." She replied.

"Great. We'll leave this afternoon. It'll take about nine hours to get there. Then, tomorrow we can start our official vacation. We'll be back on January 1st. Sound good?"

"Yep, it sounds great."

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**Sorry again guys, it was a short one. I promise chapter 5 will be longer!**

**Review please!**


	5. A Warning

**Hey guys. Sorry it's been so long. I hope you like this chapter, and I hope you like the rest of the story because I have it all planned out :)**

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After their conversation, Natasha went back to her room to pack for the trip. She walked back into her room and shut the door. She grabbed the suitcase that SHIELD provided, and she put the very few clothes she had in it. She grabbed her book from the nightstand and set it in the suitcase. Before packing her iPod, she turned it on and went to her pictures app. She clicked on the album titled _Family_. She hadn't seen her family since she was barely just a toddler. She quickly put her iPod away when she heard a knock at the door. She got up and opened it.

"Hello Ms. Romanoff, I'm Nick Fury, the director." The man said,

"Ah, yes. Clint told me about you." She replied nervously.

"Agent Barton has informed me about the trip you two are taking." Before he continued talking, he walked in and shut the door. Natasha took a step back. "Now, I am not insinuating anything here, so don't take it that way. I came by to give you some advice. I have had operatives go off together, either in the field or not, and they got involved. From what has happened here, work romances do not work. There is no rule against it here, but I'm not the biggest fan. So, you _are _free to get involved with Clint if you wish, but _I _am saying that it won't work. And I don't want anyone distracted from the task at hand, especially someone so new as you."

Natasha was taken aback. She stared blankly at him until he said something.

"I'm sorry if that offended you in any way, it's just that some of my agents have been hurt because no one warned them about it. So I needed to warn you."

She nodded. "Of course. I understand, completely. I was not planning on getting in a relationship at any time. I am here to become an agent, not to get a boyfriend."

"Good." He handed her a small bag. "In there you will find a SHIELD cell phone, fully equipped for missions, your gun, your passport, and some money. Have a safe trip." Director Fury said, turning on his heels and leaving.

Natasha was surprised that they gave her back her gun so soon, but she didn't question it. She put the bag in her suitcase, and zipped it up. She glanced at her clock: 9:30. She still had a while before they left, so she unzipped her suitcase and grabbed her book. She flipped to the page she was on and was about to start reading when she realized something…

_I have had operatives go off together, either in the field or not, and they got involved._

_My name is Agent Maria Hill, I work with Clint…_

_I know that Maria – I mean Agent Hill came by…_

She couldn't believe it. Fury came by to talk to her because she is going on a trip with Clint, and the operatives he talked about were them. Clint and Maria. It had to be, didn't it? She said they worked together… and Clint called her by her first name. She could be wrong, but she felt as if the pieces fit. She would have to confirm it later when she was with him. Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard another knock on the door.

"Natasha, it's Clint."

"Come in." She said, sitting on her bed.

"Hey, I actually got everything together early, so we can leave now if you're ready. I'm the one flying the jet so we can leave whenever you're ready."

She nodded. "I'm ready now. Let's go." She stood up and grabbed her suitcase.

"Okay, I have to grab my things and talk to Fury real quick, so I'll meet you on deck, okay?"

"Okay." She nodded and walked down the hallway. She turned right and went up the stairs to get to the deck. She walked out and sat down on the bench.

Meanwhile, Clint walked into Fury's office.

"Director, we're leaving early. Is that okay?"

"That's fine Barton."

"Alright. See you on the 1st." Clint turned to leave.

"Hey, just remember, she was a Soviet spy. Keep your eye on her."

Clint nodded and closed the door. He grabbed his bags and went up to the deck. He saw Natasha sitting right on the bench. He couldn't help but giggle.

"Hey, let's go." He said.

She stood up and followed him to one of the jets parked to the right. They climbed into the back and set their things down. Clint then jumped into the driver's seat. When he looked behind him, he saw Natasha sitting in the back. He shook his head and smiled.

"You can sit up here. It's a lot more comfortable."

She smiled and got up. She sat down in the seat next to his.

He turned the engine on and lifted off. Only 10 hours until they got to San Diego.

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**Alright! They are on their way. Review please! **


	6. Arriving

**Here's chapter 6! I hope you like it. Once again, I do not own The Avengers.**

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Three hours into the flight, neither of them had said a word to each other. Natasha had been listening to her music until her iPod died. She put her iPod in her coat pocket and zipped it up. She looked at Clint. His vision was focused on the sky. He looked peaceful, she thought. He looked calm, as if he did this all the time. Which he most likely did, being a SHIELD agent. She turned her vision back to the window next to her. She had fallen back asleep and was dreaming. But to her, it was more of a nightmare. She was having flashbacks of the fire that had killed her mother. She saw quick flashes of the building her and her mother were in being set on fire by Nazi's. She saw her mother throwing her out a window before she died.

Clint noticed that she was starting to sweat and thrash in her sleep, so he tapped her shoulder a little. She didn't wake up.

"Natasha." Clint urged, shaking her arm a little harder. "Wake up."

She sprung awake, sighing deeply. She stared at Clint, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Hey, Natasha. Everything's fine. You're fine." Clint said, attempting to calm her down. "What's wrong? You were asleep. Were you having a nightmare?"

Natasha stared blankly at him. She didn't want to respond. She didn't want to explain her past to him, at least not right now. "I don't really want to talk about it." She managed to get out. She turned her head back to the window and took a deep, shaky breath. After she calmed down, she began to think. Why was she having nightmares about her childhood? She had gotten over her mom's death long ago. There was no point in rehashing it now. She assumed it was because of all the major changes going on in her life right now, she must just be thinking about her life.

A few hours later, they reached San Diego. It was dark now, and city was lit up with lights. Clint flew the jet to one of SHIELD's bases just outside the city.

"We'll have to catch a cab. This is the only place I could land the jet." Clint said as they grabbed their things and exited the jet.

"No problem."

The two left the SHIELD base and snatched a cab within a couple minutes. Ten minuted later, the cab turned down a long gravel driveway. At the top of the hill sat one house, all alone. No wonder Clint lives here, Natasha thought, it's in the middle of nowhere.

The cab stopped at the top of the hill and Clint paid the driver for the ride. The two climbed out of the cab and grabbed their things. Clint dug around in his pocket for the key as the walked to the door. He pushed the key in and turned it until he heard the click. He opened the door and let Natasha walk in. He closed the door and locked it behind them.

"Well, this is my humble abode." Clint joked.

Natasha looked around his home. It was huge. His kitchen was to the right and the living room to the left. There was a grand staircase off the living room that led to two bedrooms and a bathroom. Off the kitchen was the garage. Clint had his GMC Denali parked inside, along with some tools and boxes.

"Wow. Your house is lovely." Natasha said, still swirling her head as she looked around the home.

"Well thanks. I haven't been here in three years, I think. I've been so consumed with work that I completely forgot it even existed." He grabbed his suitcase and headed upstairs. "Come on up." He said to Natasha, who grabbed her things and did just that.

Clint stopped at the first room. "Here's your room. There's a closet you can put your things in. My room is right across the hall. Unfortunately, there's only one bathroom, so we'll have to share it. But no big deal, I don't mind."

Natasha walked into the room she was staying in. It was a beautiful room. It had a large queen size bed with dark red bedding. It had a window seat that overlooked the lake.

"I love the view." She commented.

"Yeah, it's pretty great." Clint replied, looking at Natasha.

Seeing that Natasha was settled in, Clint opened the door to him room. He set his suitcase on his bed and sat down. As he looked around his room, he realized that it has been far too long since he's been here. It's just a house, but he's had it for a long time. He remembered moving out here ten years ago after he got the job at SHIELD. He bought this plot of land that no one wanted, and he made it his own. He smiled at the memories, and stood back up.

He walked back to Natasha's room. "Hey, I'm tired so I don't really want to go our for dinner tonight, is that alright?"

"Yeah, that's fine." She said, smiling at him.

"I'll go order some pizza."

She nodded.

Clint walked downstairs and dialed the local pizza place and ordered a pepperoni pizza with breadsticks. Natasha then came downstairs and sat on the couch. Clint brought over some wine and two wine glasses. He sat down next to her and poured their wine.

"Pizza will be here in ten." He said.

"Sounds good." Natasha said.

After Clint had turned on the television, a thought came to Natasha. She liked this calm lifestyle. She liked being in his home, watching TV, with the fireplace warming the two of them. She began to realize that she had made the right decision coming with Clint to work for SHIELD. She glanced over at him. There was one other thing that she was realizing; she was falling for Clint.

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**Okay, that was chapter 6. I hope you liked it! Review please! I'll update soon.**


	7. Vacation

**Sorry this chapter took so long to write. I kept forgetting about it. Anyway, enjoy! **

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After they ate the pizza and watched some TV, Clint and Natasha headed to bed. Clint was first. He went right into his room and shut the door. Meanwhile, Natasha opened the slider door and walked onto the patio. From the deck, the light of moon glistened on the lake. Natasha took a seat on the small couch to her right and released a breath. It was calm here. It was so different than her previous home. She felt as though she didn't have to constantly be on the look out here. She was at peace here, and with Clint. Though she had only known him a short period of time, she trusted him like no other.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard a dog barking in the distance. She stood up and went back inside. She grabbed her phone from the table where they were sitting earlier and went upstairs. In her room, she put on her pajamas and got into bed. Within a few minutes she was asleep.

The next morning, Natasha sprung awake to a loud noise coming from downstairs. She slowly got up and checked Clint's room. When she saw no one, she made her way downstairs. She stopped when she saw Clint standing in the kitchen.

"Sorry, I dropped a pan." He said, rubbing the back of this neck

"No problem, I needed to get up anyway." She walked closer to the kitchen and sat down on one of the bar stools. "What's for breakfast?"

"Well, I got a pan out to make some eggs, and then I realized that I have no food here." He paused. "So, we're going to go out to eat."

"Where to?"

"There's this little café I used to go to a lot. It's about ten minutes from here. I'm going to shower quickly and then the bathroom's all yours."

She nodded. Clint then walked upstairs and got in the shower.

Fifteen minutes later, Clint came down the stairs in jeans, a t-shirt, and damp hair. "Your turn." He said, motioning her towards the bathroom.

After her shower, the two of them got in his Denali and started towards the café. The ride was silent. Clint pulled the car into a parking space right in front of the door. The parking lot was fairly empty. They climbed out of the car and walked into the café. Clint walked towards a small booth by the window and sat down. Natasha followed.

One of the waitresses walked over to them, noticing Clint. "Clint!" She exclaimed. "Is that you?" She turned around and yelled to the back. "Hey Jeff, you're never gonna believe who's here!"

An older man emerged from the back door and walked towards the waitress. He noticed Clint too. "Clint! How have you been?" The man asked.

"I've been good Jeff." He replied. Realizing Natasha was here, he said, "Oh yeah. Jeff, this is my new partner Natasha Romanoff."

Jeff shook Natasha's hand. "Pleasure to meet you." He said.

"The pleasure's all mine." Natasha replied. "So, how do you know each other?"

"Clint used to come in here every Sunday morning to eat. Him and I would always have a good talk." The man sighed. "Then he got a job with SHIELD and I barely ever saw him. It's been over two years since he last stepped foot in here."

"Well, it's good to be back." Clint said.

The two of them then ate their breakfast and got back into the car. As Clint pulled back onto the road, Natasha spoke up. "Jeff seems like a really nice guy."

"He is." Clint said blankly.

"Is something wrong?"

"No, it's just…" He paused. "I just miss it here, that's all."

"I know the feeling." She said, looking out her window. She thought about confronting Clint about Maria, but she didn't think it would be a good idea right now.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Clint's house came into her view. Clint pressed a button and opened the garage door. He pulled in and shut the door.

Later that day, Clint came downstairs and glanced at his watch: 6:30 p.m. It was time for dinner. He noticed Natasha was asleep on the couch. He sat down in the chair next to it.

Natasha then woke up.

"Hey." Clint said softly.

"Hey." Natasha replied, rubbing her eyes.

"There's leftover pizza in the fridge or I think I have some spaghetti I could make for dinner."

"Pizza sounds good." She said, smiling.

"Okay." Clint walked into the kitchen and got their food. She brought it back over and sat down. A few minutes passed before Natasha spoke up.

"Clint, can I ask you something?"

"Yes, of course."

She took a deep breath. "Were you and Maria involved before?"

Clint was taken aback by her question. "Uhm." He stuttered. "Maria and I… Yes. We were."

She was about to say something but Clint butted in. "But it's over now. It was just a short thing."

She wasn't satisfied. "What do you mean by that? Explain."

"It was about a year ago. We had both been there a while, and then Fury sent us on a mission. It was in Italy. It was a quick get in-get out situation. But things got complicated." He sighed. "We got caught in some crossfire. That night, she was shook up. I comforted her. And I crossed a line… I kissed her. That was it. But it ended up costing us the mission."

Natasha nodded. She didn't want to know anymore. For a reason she didn't know, she was hurt by Clint's story. "I'm tired. I think I'm going to go to sleep." She got up from the couch and went upstairs.

"Shit." Clint mumbled to himself.

Later, when Clint was lying in bed, he replayed the event in his head. He remembered Natasha's blank facial expression that hid all her emotions. But when he said the words _I kissed her, _Natasha's face changed. He could see it in her eyes. There was some kind of emotion brought up by his story, but he had no clue what it was. Eventually, he would come to learn that the look on Natasha's face was the look of someone who was heartbroken.

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**And I know, it was short. I'M SORRY. I'm not good at writing a lot. **

**I hope you liked it.**

**Until next time. xoxo.**


	8. An Interruption

**Gah. It's been forever since I've updated, and to be quite honest, I've forgotten what's happened in this story. Anyways... I'm gonna try to continue it. Again, I don't own the Avengers. So enjoy. Maybe.**

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The next morning, Clint was awoken by his phone ringing. He quickly turned on his side to grab it from his nightstand. The screen read _Fury. _He clicked on the answer button and held the phone up to his ear.

"Barton," He said simply.

"I know you two are on vacation, but we've got a major problem that needs to be handled," He paused and took a deep breath. "There's a Hungarian armsdealer by the name of Ferenci Armand. He's got an enormous shipment set for three days from now that's going to Iraq. We can't take the risk of these weapons getting into the wrong hands. So, you and Natasha can fly there today, or I can send two other agents. Are you two in or not?"

Clint paused, reluctant to leave his vacation. "One second. I'll ask her," He put the phone call on hold and set it down on his bed. He walked out of his room and over to Natasha's door. It was open slightly, so he pushed it the rest of the way. He noticed she was asleep, so he slowly walked to the side of her bed and tapped on her shoulder. She snapped awake, and with instinct, grabbed Clint's wrist, flung him onto the bed right next to her, and jumped on top of him, holding his wrists down. She gasped when she realized what she did.

"I am so sorry, it was just an instinct. I didn't even realize-"

She was interrupted, "It's fine. I get it. Now, can you please get off of me because I have something we need to talk about." He said calmly.

She slowly climbed off of him, plopping back down in her original spot. Taking a deep breath, she turned towards him.

"So, what's going on?"

"Fury has a mission for us. We have to stop a Hungarian armsdealer. He told me to ask you if you're in. We'd have to leave today."

She contemplated this. It would be her first official mission with Clint, and that made her nervous. She took in another breath and looked back at Clint.

"I'm in," She said simply.

Clint nodded and walked back into his room. He picked up his phone and got off hold.

"Well, are you guys in?" Fury repeated.

"Yes, we are," Clint said.

"Okay, a driver will be there to pick you guys up in one hour. Be ready."

Before Clint could say anything, Fury ended the call.

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**I know, this was really really short, even for me. I just needed to update, and I still need time to think about how I'm going to write the rest of the story. So, I hope you enjoyed, and I will update soon this time. I promise.**

**xoxo**


	9. A Mission

**Alright, back for chapter 9. **

**Enjoy.**

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Two hours into the flight, Natasha and Clint sat next to each other, quietly reading their mission files. They were being sent to Budapest, Hungary to take out an arms dealer by the name of Ferenci Armand, who had a huge shipment going out to Iraq in three days. They read through his history, his business, his personal life, and their covers. This mission, they would be under cover as a married couple on vacation from New York City. Their mission was to get into the party that Armand was throwing for the opening of a new branch in his business. They were to get him alone, arrest him if possible, or kill him if the situation got out of hand. Then, they would fly back to San Diego in time for Christmas.

Natasha then proceded to put her file on the ground and recline her chair back to take a nap. One of the many luxuries of riding in one of SHIELD's private jets. Once she was asleep, Clint carefully got up and headed into the other cabin. There, he saw Coulson sitting on one of the couches watching the news. Clint walked over to the couch and took the spot next to Coulson.

"How much longer?" Clint asked.

"It's a 16 hour flight, we left 2 hours ago. You still have quite a while."

Clint sighed and stood back up. He walked back into his cabin and shut the curtain divider. He turned to his left and opened the bathroom door. After her was done, he walked back out into the cabin and found Natasha now spread out on the couch opposite their seats. He grabbed a blanket from the storage compartment above their seats and laid it out to cover her up. Once he felt accomplished with that, he sat back down in his seat to take a nap as well. Within a few minutes, the whole cabin was silent except for the faint sound of their breathing.

Four hours later, Clint awoke from his nap to see the cabin empty. He glanced at his watch: _6:00_. It was time for dinner. He stood up, stretched a little, then walked into the next cabin to see Natasha and Clint eating dinner.

"Ate without me?" He jokingly asked.

"I didn't want to wake you." Natasha smiled and gestured for him to sit down at the table with them. He obliged, and took the empty seat between Coulson and her. The waiter proceded to bring a plate of spaghetti and garlic bread out to Clint, and set it down in front of him. Clint dug in, barely taking time to breath into bites.

"Hungry?" Coulson sarcastically asked.

"Mhmm." Clint managed to mumble.

After dinner, Coulson went up into the next cabin and went to sleep for the night. Clint and Natasha went back into their cabin and sat down. Clint buzzed for the waiter. Once he was there, Clint asked for a couple drinks.

"Oh no, I don't want anything." Natasha butted in.

"Don't be silly, we still have 9 hours left on this plane. Just one drink, you'll be fine for tomorrow." Clint urged.

"Fine. But only one!"

A few minutes later, the waiter came in with a small cart. On the cart, there was a bottle of vodka, two classes, and a few other things to mix in. Clint nodded his head and thanked the waiter, and the waiter left. Clint then poured a little bit of vodka into each glass, took one for himself, and handed one to Natasha. She thanked him, and then took a sip.

An hour later, Clint glanced down at his watch: _8:00_. "Well, I think I'm going to go take a quick shower and head to bed. We're going to be landing in Budapest at four in the morning. Coulson said we can head to the hotel first, and then we have all day to do whatever because the party isn't until seven o'clock."

Natasha nodded, and Clint walked into the bathroom. After his shower, he went to sleep. Natasha also took a shower and headed to bed. 4:00 a.m. would come quicker than either of them wanted.

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**Alright, that's it for this chapter. Chapter 10 will be what happens in Budapest and then the story is going to take a jump into the future. Hope you guys are liking it, I've got some pretty good plans for it :)**

**xoxo**


	10. Budapest

**Okay, here's chapter 10!**

* * *

Natasha and Clint were awoken by the beeping of the seat belt button above their head. They both sleepily buckled up and braced for landing. Once the plane had landed, the two grabbed their bags that they had packed the previous day, and headed off. Coulson warned both of them to keep in contact, and keep him updated on the mission. They nodded in agreement and got in the taxi waiting for them. They told the driver to head to 1201 Wesselényi utca 87, the hotel they're staying at. Coulson booked them the cheapest hotel he could find that was in range of Armand's party, at $31 a night. They arrived and Clint helped Natasha to the door with her bags. The two walked in laughing and pretending to be all over each other, just as their cover said. They always start out right away in character. They made their way up to the desk to check in.

"We have a reservation." Clint said to the desk clerk.

"Name please?"

"Hall. Andrew Hall." Clint replied, using his cover name.

The desk clerk filed through the names in his computer, while Natasha made her way over to a painting on the wall. The clerk then handed Clint the room key.

"Katherine, honey, come along!" He said to get Natasha's attention. She obeyed and went back over to him. They proceeded to the elevator, hand in hand and giggling.

They get up to the top floor where their room is, and they set their things down on the bed. The one bed.

Before they say anything, they both involuntarily search the room for bugs. When neither of them find anything, they nod at each other that they are free to talk. Clint looks at the digital clock on the bedside table: _4:30 a.m. _They still had all day until the party. While Clint set up their communication equipment on the desk in the corner, Natasha sat on the bed and pulled out a book. _  
_

Two and half hours later, at 7, the two headed down to the lobby to find breakfast, but found that the hotel didn't serve it. So, Clint suggested that they went out on the town for the day. Natasha agreed. The two got a taxi and rode into the center of Budapest. They sauntered down the streets hand in hand, giggling every so often to keep their cover in tact. They then came across a small café on the corner of two streets. Clint walked in and looked around. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, he nodded at Natasha to come inside. They were once again hand in hand as they chose their table. A few moments later, a young, brunette waitress came up to their table and took their orders. They each ordered an order of waffles, Natasha ordering an orange juice with hers and Cling ordering a glass of milk. For the next ten minutes, they chatted about things that married couples chat about. The weather. The news. Puppies. Kittens. Children. They stopped when the same waitress brought their food.

"Thank you." Clint said. The waitress nodded and walked away.

The two ate in silence until the waitress came back up with their bill. Clint set the money on the table, and the two got up and left. They continued to walk the streets and stop at little stores for the rest of the day. At 4, they headed back to their hotel to get ready for the party. Natasha hopped in the shower first, and Clint after her. While he showered, she had to her hair. So, as awkward as it was, she blew dry her hair while he was right behind her, in the shower. After her hair was dry, she exited the bathroom to grab her curling iron. Clint had gone down to the lobby to kill some time while she got ready. She curled her hair and put it up, but let a few strands hang loose. She then applied eyeliner, mascara, eye shadow, etc. When Clint came back, it was 6 o'clock already. He quickly put his suit on and had Natasha tie his tie for him. After that, she slipped on a long, strap less black dress and black high heels. Clint was stunned, but she ignored him. She knew he would like it. That was her plan.

After they were both ready, he took her by the arm and headed down to the lobby. The got in another taxi and headed for Armand's party.

Once at the party, Clint and Natasha assumed their covers as Andrew and Katherine Hall, from New York. They smoothly made their way past the bouncer and over to the bar. They each took a seat on the bar stools, and the bartender walked over to them. Clint ordered a beer and Natasha ordered a strawberry margarita. They made their way over to the tables and found a seat. They sat down, drinks in hand, skimming over the menu the hotel provided. They ordered their food and ate. After they had finished, they saw Armand come in the huge room. Natasha went into the bathroom, as planned, and Clint walked over to Armand.

"Andrew Hall, sir. This is a lovely party you have here. See, I'm here with my wife, and-"

"What do you want, Mr. Hall?" Armand interrupted. Clint thought of his options. There were three guards in the room, plus plenty more spread around the hotel.

"I, uh, I actually have a question for you." He said, stalling.

"And what might that be?"

"Could we possibly go somewhere private to talk, it's kind of a personal question."

Armand hesitated. He looked around for anything suspicious or out of place. Not seeing anything, he nodded. "Follow me."

Armand headed for a door off to their right, Clint following behind. Clint then turned around and saw Natasha standing by the bathrooms, looking right at him. He nodded. Their plan was in action.

Natasha moved far behind Clint, making sure not to lose them. Armand opened the door and headed down a hallway, going into the third door on his left. Clint followed, making sure to leave the door open slightly so Natasha can find which room they're in. The room was large, with two couches, a chair, an unmanned bar in the corner. Armand sat down on one of the couches, Clint taking a seat across from him.

"So, what is your question, Mr. Hall?" Armand started.

"It's a little embarrassing... My wife and I are a little low on money, and I need a job that's, uh, secret. If you know what I mean."

Armand contemplated this. Before he could answer, Natasha came tumbling into the room.

Clint stood up. "Kat, what are you doing here?"

Acting drunk, she stumbled over to Clint. He motioned her to sit down on the sofa. "I am so sorry Mr. Armand. This is my wife, Katherine. She must have had too much to drink. I'll get her out of here right now."

Clint grabbed Natasha by the arm and pulled her up, both of them yanking their guns out and pointing them on Armand. "Mr. Ferenci Armand, you are under arrest for the illegal shipment of weapons and ammunition. Get your hands on your head, now." Armand followed Clint's orders. Natasha moved behind Armand and cuffed him. Now all they had to do was get out. And luckily, Coulson had it all set up for them. They exited the room, Coulson holding onto Armand, and Natasha checking to make sure they were clear. They walked down the hallway and found a stair case that lead to the roof. They hurried up the five flights of steps and went through a door that opened up to the roof of the building. Natasha hit the button on her phone, giving the signal to Coulson. A few moments later, a helicopter came barreling to their location and landed right in front of them. Clint smirked. Their plan actually worked. Clint pushed Armand into the helicopter, two guards taking him. Clint then helped Natasha on board, and the two of them sat down across from Armand.

The ride was silent. The helicopter landed and they took Armand away. Clint and Natasha, however, had to go back to the hotel, get their stuff, and check out. This was to keep their covers in tact, just incase. The two of them rode back in a taxi together, and walked into the hotel. It was already two in the morning. The two decided to just stay the night there, and fly back home the next morning. They got into the elevator and went to their floor.

In the hotel room, they both had already showered and got in their pajamas. Clint was standing out on their small balcony, overlooking the section of Budapest they were in. Natasha joined him.

"Hey." Natasha said softly.

"Hey." Clint repeated. "You okay?"

Natasha sighed. "Yes. I am." She paused. "It was an easy mission, get in get out go home. Right?"

Clint was confused. "Uh, yes, that's all it was."

"But it made me realize something, Clint." She looked straight ahead, avoiding eye contact.

"And what would that be?"

The balcony got eerily quiet. All Natasha could hear was her heart thumping in her chest. She thought carefully about what she was about to say... but no matter how carefully she phrased it, it would still end up changing their relationship forever.

"I don't know if this partnership is going to work." She said it so quietly Clint wasn't even sure if she actually said it.

Clint's heartbeat started to increase as well. "What do you mean it's not going to work?"

His firmness startled her. She could feel her eyes filling with water. "Before we left for vacation, Fury came to talk to me." She paused, and her words sped up. "He talked about how it never works out when partners start to develop feelings for each other and how it just starts to ruin missions and-"

Clint put both his hands on her shoulders. "Hey, Nat, everything's going to be okay." He moved his hands from her shoulders and set them on the railing.

"You don't know that.." She almost said to herself, but Clint heard her.

"You're right, I don't know what's going to happen." He paused and realized what she had said before. "Are you saying that you're developing feelings for me"

She looked away and didn't respond.

"Natasha, it's not unusual to have feelings for your partner. They are who you depend on, who have your back. They're always there for you. So that's not a problem."

"But it might become one." She shot back.

Clint contemplated this. He knew exactly what she was talking about. When he kissed Agent Hill, they could no longer function properly as partners. He didn't want the same thing to happen to them. He had to prove to her that they were nothing more than partners.

"Clint, I'm just going to go to bed." She turned around and started for the door when she felt Clint's hand grasping her upper arm. She was then pulled back by that very hand and was staring right into deep blue-green eyes.

Her face was only inches away from his now. He moved his hand from her arm, and set it on the small of her back.

And then, that few inches of space left between their lips was depleted to none.

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**GAH. It took me so long to write this chapter. ANYWAYS. Crazy cliffhanger, right?! Review and tell me what you thought! ****I'll try to update soon!**

**xoxo**


	11. What the Future May Hold

**Well, it actually doesn't seem like a lot of people are still reading this story, but I'll continue it anyways. **

**Here's chapter 11**

**This chapter contains: spoilers for Iron Man 3**

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It had been nearly three years since the mission in Budapest.

Clint and Natasha had decided it was for the best to forget about what happened between the two of them, and just focus on working together. They had been on countless missions since then, none of which they had been emotionally compromised. They had slowly, but surely, built up their partnership at SHIELD to something that neither of them could live without. It was strictly professional, though.

But then came the events in New York. When Natasha thought she was going to lose Clint, she realized that deep down in her, she still had those lingering feelings for him. Those feelings she actively tried to avoid, but somehow managed to make their way up to her head. She knew that a romantic relationship between them would completely ruin their partnership, but she often thought of ways to make it work. There was no regulation that restricted them from a relationship, but everyone knows that dating a co-worker never works out. Something always gets destroyed. Either it be their work ethic, or their personal situation... It never works. But some part of her was still wistful of a future she may someday be able to have with Clint.

So now, she lay awake in her bed, unable to sleep. Thoughts continuously rushing into her mind.

_Its's like Budapest all over again. _

_You and I remember Budapest very differently._

_I won't touch Barton, not until I make him kill you. Slowly, intimately, in every way he knows you fear. And then he'll wake just long enough to see his good work and when he screams, I'll split his skull._

She jerked up. Breathing heavily, she swung her covers off of her and crawled out of bed. In her new apartment in New York City, she glanced at her clock. 3:47 a.m.

She walked out into her small living room and kitchen, and went to grab a glass of water. She filled the glass up halfway and carried over to her couch. She sat down and stared out her window, at the buildings that stretched for miles. The only thing she wanted was to talk to Clint. It didn't matter what, she just wanted to talk to him. He was her solid ground. She could be comfortable around him. And right now, she needed to be with him.

But in reality, it was almost 4 in the morning and he was most likely asleep, a half hour away from her apartment. So she decided to turn her attention to her TV. She flipped it on and began surfing the many channels. She stopped when she came across Top Model. Why not, right? She clicked it and tried to immerse her thoughts into the show. That failing, she shut the TV off and ran her hand through her hair. She glanced at the clock on her microwave: 4:27 a.m. She thought of anyone she knew who might be awake at this time of night. She thought about Tony, but he was back in Malibu rebuilding his home with Pepper. Then she remembered Steve, and that he had been having trouble sleeping. She grabbed her phone and flew through her contacts until she found his name. She tapped his number and let it ring. One time. Two times. Three. Four. Five. Voicemail. She shook her head and walked back into her room. She got back into her bed and realized how tired she actually was. She set her head down on her pillow, and within two minutes she was asleep.

* * *

The next morning, she woke up around 9 o'clock. She stretched out her arms and grabbed her phone from her nightstand. Pressing the home button, she noticed she had two missed calls from Steve, and five from Clint. She clicked Clint's name and called him back. One ring. Two rings.

"Natasha!" Clint nearly shouted. "Are you okay?"

"Uhm, yeah, I'm fine. Why did you call me so many times? Is something happening?"

"Steve noticed that he had a missed call from you and got worried when you didn't pick up. So I called you, but you still didn't pick up."

"Oh, yeah..." She paused, debating what to say. "Yeah, it was a pocket dial last night. I got up to use the bathroom and accidentally called him." She lied straight through her teeth. "And I had my phone on vibrate. Sorry for worrying you."

"Oh. Alright. Well, I just wanted to make sure you're okay." He took in a breath. "Do you want to maybe go get some breakfast? I can pick you up in a half hour?"

She pondered this. "That sounds great. I'll be ready."

"Alright, see you then." And he hung up.

She set her phone back down and quickly jumped in the shower. After her shower, she towel-dried her hair and got dressed. She put on a pair of skinny jeans, a gray t-shirt, a black pair of boots, and black leather jacket. She grabbed her phone and shoved it in her pocket as she headed to her living room. It had been about 30 minutes, so Clint should have been there any second. She decided to go wait outside. So she grabbed her keys and locked the door behind her. Once she pressed the elevator button, the doors swooshed open to reveal Clint. She walked in with him and hit the ground floor button. They smiled at one another, keeping the elevator ride silent. The doors then opened again and they walked out, into the small lobby of her apartment building. She followed him out to his car, and the two of them climbed into their seats. He started the engine and drove off.

"So, where are we going?" She asked.

"I had this nice little café in mind. It's just a few blocks from here."

"Sounds great."

The rest of the car ride was silent. The car gracefully glided across the streets, stopping every so often at stop lights. Once they came to the café, there was no parking and it was super busy inside.

"Crap." Clint said. "How about we just head back to your place and eat? Do you have anything there for breakfast?"

"Uh, yeah, I do. We can do that."

He took a right and drove around the building back to the street they were on before. About ten minutes later, they were back at Natasha's apartment. He parked the car once again and the two headed up to her floor. Once there, she unlocked the door and went inside.

"Well, I've got some frozen waffles we could eat. Or cereal. That's about it." She laughed.

"Waffles sound good." He took his jacket off and hung it on her coat rack, sitting down in one of the chairs at her small dining table.

"Alright." She opened her freezer and pulled out the box of waffles. She grabbed four of them and put them in the toaster, then grabbing two plates, syrup, and silverware. She filled them each a glass of orange juice and set them on the table. Once the waffles popped up, she put two on each plate and carried everything over to the table. They each put syrup on their waffles and sliced them into edible pieces. After a few bites, they started their conversation.

"So, I need to talk to you about something Clint." Natasha spoke up first.

"Yeah, sure. Anything. What is it?"

She took in a deep breath, carefully planning out how to phrase her upcoming sentence. "Do you remember when we were in Budapest almost three years ago, and I told you that I was worried about developing feelings for you?"

He paused and took a moment to remember. "Yeah. I do. What about it?"

She swallowed hard. "And how we.. uh.. kissed... And then decided to move on focus on work..."

"Yes, Natasha, I remember all of this. What about it?" His voice rose a bit this time, and it started to worry her.

She looked down at her waffles, which were getting cold, and she softened her voice. "When you were taken by Loki, and put under that weird mind control thing, I worried about you. A lot." She paused to look up at him. "And it made me realize something."

He took in a breath. He had a feeling where this was going, but he let her continue anyway.

"I realized that..." She took a large breath, steadying her voice. "...that those feelings never left, and that they're still a vulnerability for our partnership."

He took a swig of his orange juice, looking her in the eyes after. "Nat, I have those feelings too. It happens with most partners. When you are with them this much, and in hard and dangerous situations, you learn a lot about them. You develop feelings for them. It's not uncommon."

She rose her voice. "Clint! I know this! I've heard it a hundred times!" She took a breath and continued. "But the difference with us is that I_ want _this, but it's never going to happen! It can't happen!"

She stood up and ran her hands through her hair. Clint just watched her.

She turned around and looked at him. "The difference is that I'm falling in love with you."

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**WOAH. lol. A lot happened in this chapter. I hope you guys are still liking the story!**

**Tell me what you think :)**

**xoxo**


	12. Complications

**Phew! It's been a long time since I updated this, so sorry! **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

There was silence. The words that Natasha had just spit out spun around in both of their mind's.

_... falling in __**love **__with you._

Natasha took in a deep breath. "I think you should go." Her voice was barely audible.

"Natasha-"

"No. Just go." She looked down at her feet, regretting every word she had just said. Clint stood up and shoved his chair under the table. He grabbed his things, walked out the door and slammed it behind him. She took in a staggering breath and clenched her fists. She started pacing the length of her living room, only to end up right back where she was. She quickly cleaned up their plates from breakfast and then sat down on the couch. She put her head in her hands and just sat there, focusing on her breathing. She was emotionally stressed out and she didn't like it. She had know idea what to do. She wanted to be with Clint, but she couldn't. It wouldn't work. She kept going to the thought of trying it, but if it didn't work and they broke up, nothing would ever be the same. Things were already going downhill. She should have never told him how she really felt. All she wanted was to be happy, and right now she was the complete opposite. She let a few tears fall from her eyes and onto her hands, quickly wiping them away. She hurried into the bathroom and stood in front of her mirror.

"Don't cry. You're stronger than that." She stared at her own reflection and took another deep breath. She walked into her room and crawled into her bed.

For the rest of the day, she laid around and watched TV. It was the first 'lazy day' she had had in years.

* * *

In the following weeks, she avoided talking to Clint about what had happened that morning. They kept things professional as usual, but it was a different kind of professional. It was like they were co-workers and that was it, when everyone else knew that they had a deeper connection than that. Nobody questioned them though, mostly out of sheer fear that one of them would snap. Director Fury, however, was their boss and he noticed that there had been a change between them. It wasn't a bad change, from what he could tell, but they just weren't themselves. On any normal day, they would joke around and banter at each other throughout the day. And lately, they had just been like robots, programmed to what they had to do that day. They went to work, did whatever they needed to, then went home. It had started to be a cycle, one that neither of them particularly liked.

One Friday morning, they were both called into Fury's office. They both knew what it was for, but they would never let Fury know that. A few minutes after they were notified to meet with him, they arrived at his office and went in, sitting down in the two chairs across from Fury.

"Morning agents." He said as he finished typing something on his computer.

"Good morning sir." Natasha said, crossing her right leg over her left.

"Well, I called you two down here because I've noticed a shift between you two lately." He said, turning his attention fully to them. They both stayed silent, expecting to him to continue talking. When he didn't, he rose his eyebrows. "Do either of you have anything to say?"

The two agents shared a quick glance, Clint then taking a deep breath. "We got into an argument a few weeks ago, sir. It was over something stupid, and we haven't had the chance to about it yet." He said, trying to downplay the seriousness of their situation.

"Yeah, we're really sorry Director." Natasha added.

"There's nothing to be sorry about, I just thought that maybe something was going on because you guys were acting different. But as long you still work affectively, there's no problem." He stood up and put his hands behind his back. "Now I've got a meeting to go to, so you two are free to go." They stood up as well. "And as a matter of fact, why don't you guys take the day off. There's nothing left here for you to do, so you can leave." He smiled slightly and they all walked out of his office and back into the hallway. After Fury walked away, the two of them stayed put for a couple minutes, debating what to do.

"Well, I'm gonna head home, so I'll see you Monday." Natasha said, turning to leave.

"Nat, he gave us the day off so we could talk about our argument." He said quietly so only she could hear him.

She turned back around to face him, looking him straight in the eyes. "Alright, well I'm starving so let's go get some lunch." He nodded and they headed for the parking lot. They both got in their separate cars, and Natasha followed Clint to whatever restaurant he was heading to.

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**Sorry this was so short! I really need to think about where I want this story to go and I want it to be perfect! **

**So review and tell me what you think, and tell me your ideas of where I should take the story!**

**xoxo**


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